Our apartment, complete with fountain

We are staying at Hotel Las Mariposas, which I love. Each morning, all the guests and the owners gather for our complimentary breakfast, coffee and a chat. It is so easy to make friends here. Every arrangement of traveler can be comfortable here. I am a 57 years old women traveling with my 23 year old son. Also, I have met couples, friends traveling together, families, another mother and son duo, and people traveling solo. I highly recommend Las Mariposas for all groups. If you want to meet people easily, and especially if you are traveling single, Las Mariposas is the perfect place to feel comfortable, safe and secure. The owners speak English and are extremely helpful as you will see later in this post. The location can't be beat. It is right next to the Lending Library which is an expat meeting place, and near my favorite park which is El Llano. Here is the location information from Las Mariposas website. Just a few blocks from the Santo Domingo Cultural Center and all the downtown restaurants and shops. Half a block from "El Llano", a large tree-shaded park that is a great place to hang out, jog, read a book or people watch. Ideal for language students attending nearby Spanish schools and ethnic food enthusiasts attending Oaxacan cooking classes, or as a base for exploring this enchanting colonial city and venturing out to the arts and crafts villages of the surrounding area. If you follow travel trends you know that single female travel and eco-travel are two of the today's top current trends. Las Mariposas is perfect for both. The hotel caters to both. Here are some of the other perks of Las Mariposas. * Certified Ecological and Environmentally friendly practices

* Great value; reasonably-priced B&B with lots of extras
* Perfect location; close to everything
* Spotlessly clean
* Free internet, long-distance phone calls and drinking water
* Warm and helpful personal attention; from Teresa and Lucía
* Library, Kitchen and TV lounge open to all guests
* Garden areas and patios

Being an English speaking person in a foreign land has its perks in the "making friend" realm. First of all, when you are an international traveler in a foreign country, and you encounter people from your home country, you form an automatic bond with them. Secondly, you meet tourists from all over the world who also speak English. Another perk of speaking Eng is the ability to get a job almost anywhere in the world as an Eng teacher. This is something I am going to look into later, since I plan to stay several months. Oaxaca is such a popular international tourist destination that I see dozens of people everyday who look as if they are from America. The first few days, I was saying hello to every American looking person whom I came across. Most of the people ignored me and I quickly realized that they did not speak English. Many are from India, Europe, Asia, etc. The USA is so diverse that it is difficult to determine who resides there. Las Mariposas is the perfect microcosm in which to find people who speak your language. Guests rest in the courtyard throughout the day and there is always someone with whom to chat or go places. Everyone gathers at breakfast, the guests discuss their plans for the day and often will join together for activities and meals. I'd love to stay here, but my purpose in coming to Mexico is to live like a local and improve my Spanish. If I stay here, I will be speaking Eng the whole time and basically acting as a tourist. There is also the cost. If you are a budget traveler like me, the most affordable way to travel is to rent by the week or the month. Paying nightly rates will kill your budget in no time. I asked about the monthly rate here and at another hotel around the corner, but they are both out of my price range so I need to find another option. My preference is to stay for at least a month and rent an apartment in a regular neighborhood to experience life alongside the local people. I first tried calling apartments advertised in the classified section of the newspaper but my Spanish skills are highly lacking for such an endeavor and I had to give up that avenue. Next, I perused the rental binder at the ex-pat Lending Library, but all the apartments and roommates choices were already full. I got lucky this morning. When I joined the other guests and the owners for coffee, I was discussing my next apartment finding scheme when Teresa, one of the owners, graciously stepped in, made a few phone calls to landlords she knows, and found me a home. Here is a picture of our apartment.  We have a one bedroom, 2 bed apartment with kitchen and bath, along with this beautiful courtyard, complete with fountain. This place is called . It was built by the owner's family 200 years ago and still stands strong. The curb appeal leaves something to be desired. All you see from the street is a large heavy metal door covered in graffiti. If I were in America, I would think I was deep in the ghetto, but after a You may remember when I